circuit breaker

• Dispositif de sécurité qui interrompt automatiquement le courant électrique dans un circuit pour prévenir une surcharge ou un court-circuit ; également utilisé métaphoriquement pour désigner un mécanisme qui arrête un processus afin d'éviter une escalade.

A safety device that automatically stops the flow of electricity in an electrical circuit as a precaution against overloading or short circuits; also used metaphorically to describe a mechanism that halts a process to prevent escalation.

1. Electrical safety deviceB2formal

   An automatic switch that stops the flow of electric current in a circuit as a safety measure, typically when an overload or short circuit occurs.

   disjoncteur

   • The circuit breaker tripped when the power surge occurred.
   • He reset the circuit breaker after fixing the faulty wiring.
   • Always check the circuit breaker before attempting electrical repairs.

2. Trading halt mechanismC1formal

   A regulatory measure used on stock exchanges to temporarily halt trading when a market index drops by a certain percentage, designed to prevent panic selling.

   Dispositif de suspension de cotation

   • The stock exchange triggered a circuit breaker after the market fell sharply.
   • Circuit breakers are designed to give traders time to assess information.
   • The market reopened after the circuit breaker pause.